Quicksand lurker
The quicksand lurker or plunger lurker (depending on the context), also known as the fireball lurker, is an enemy in The Precursor Legacy. It is a small, purple lurker indigenous to the mud ponds of Misty Island. They act primarily as sentries, guarding areas of the island from intruders such as Jak and Daxter. One ventured out as far as Mountain Pass, though they were never seen outside of their pond while on Misty Island. History Quicksand lurkers first appear at Misty Island, dwelling in the mud ponds scattered about. They remain submerged, waiting for an intruder before they emerge to fend off the threat by spitting harmful purple energy from their mouths—dealing "harshly" with anyone who stray from the village. The creatures are encountered five times at Misty Island, the first three in the introductory area (between the large skeleton and the entrance to the silo), and the last two together in a larger pond between the silo's exit and the Lurker ship. The quicksand lurker otherwise appeared at the end of Mountain Pass, during the mission "Reach the end of Mountain Pass". Referred to in this context as the "plunger" lurker, it was responsible for detonating the explosives placed throughout the Pass, waiting for the signal from a band of pedal-copter lurkers. Its plans were thwarted, however, when Jak outraced the messengers and fatally struck the plunger lurker with the A-Grav Zoomer. Characteristics The quicksand lurker is a stout creature with purple fur and pale skin. Its skin is exposed near the hands and feet, and from its underbelly to its lower jaw. It possesses distinct lurker characteristics, namely a pair of spurs on each side of its lower jaw, orange-yellow eyes, simple diaper-like clothing, and metal braces. Similar to its simian lurker brethren, the quicksand lurker also sports a tuft of hair from the top of its head and down its back. Unlike most lurkers, its metal braces are worn on either wrist instead of around the neck. This could be due to the lurker's broad gullet, from which it spews its energy projectiles. It is unknown whether the purple energy is dark eco or some other matter, though it appears to be a purple variant of the red energy shot by glacier troops. There is circumstantial evidence of the glacier troop's energy being red eco, but as this remains unconfirmed, and neither of these particle effects exactly resemble those of other dark and red eco (other than color), whether or not it is indeed eco remains inconclusive. Behavior Upon approaching a quicksand lurker's mud pit, he will emerge and spit purple energy from his throat at fixed intervals. These projectiles follow a constant line of travel at a very slow speed, making them easy to dodge. Additionally, the lurker will exaggeratedly inhale beforehand which gives you ample warning. Any time after the end of this inhalation is a good time to side-step the projectile. If the projectile does manage to hit you, it will take away one hit point and the lurker will perform a brief celebration. You are most likely to be hit at closer distances or when not paying attention. The quicksand lurker will submerge himself back under the surface if you either jump inside the mud pit with him (or even almost inside), or walk away a sizable distance. There is a space between his attack radius and proximity of emergence where he will stare at Jak and occasionally yawn. The plunger lurker at the Pass simply stands at his blasting machine, peering out into the cave in wait for the pedal-copter lurkers. If Jak arrives too late, the plunger lurker will spit in both hands and push the handle on his blasting machine, detonating the explosives placed around the Pass. However, if Jak arrives in time before the pedal-copter lurkers, the plunger lurker will exclaim in surprise—if he has enough time, he will duck and hide behind a nearby treasure chest, covering himself from the on-coming explosion resultant of Jak's collision with the blasting machine. Combat Due to the improbability of hitting the lurker inside his pond, the most reliable attack is the sliding punch. It begins outside the pond, but slides into the pond with enough speed to beat the lurker's reaction time. The dive attack does work on some, but not those with a quick response time to Jak jumping over the pond (i.e. those whose ponds are enclosed in a small space). For the dive attack, it is recommended to begin jumping well outside the pond, but close enough that the dive will reach the lurker. The only practical way to hit the lurker with a spin kick is to do it in the middle of his victory animation. Lastly, the roll jump does work well as an attack, though you will have to rely mostly on luck to get it well-positioned. The plunger lurker is a simpler engagement, as it will remain relatively immobile as you collide with it in the zoomer (assuming a timely arrival). Behind the scenes None of the three names for this enemy are truly accurate. The lurker does not dwell in quicksand, rather mud pits and ponds; nor does it operate a plunger, rather a blasting machine; nor does it expectorate fireballs, rather globules of harmful purple energy. Notes ; Annotations ; Citations References ; Video games * ; Bibliography * * Category:Lurkers Category:Enemies in The Precursor Legacy